Controversial rapper Kanye West is to receive the lifetime achievement award at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The 38-year-old hip hop star will be honoured for his "ground-breaking videos, legendary performances and continued impact on music, art, fashion and culture" with the ceremony's highest honour, known as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award.

The Yeezus star, who is married to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, joins previous winners Madonna, Beyonce (who won last year), Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and The Rolling Stones.

West sparked controversy at the 2009 ceremony, when he leapt up on stage and interrupted Taylor Swift's speech, launching into a rant about why his friend Beyonce should have won best female video instead.

Kanye West.

Swift leads this year's awards, with nine nominations.

The Shake It Off singer is the top nominee at this year's event, with her star-studded Bad Blood receiving nods in seven categories including best collaboration, best cinematography and video of the year.

Ed Sheeran follows Swift with six nominations including video of the year for his chart-topping hit Thinking Out Loud, while Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar and Mark Ronson have five each.

Other stars vying for the coveted prize of video of the year are Lamar's Alright, Beyonce's 7/11, and Uptown Funk by Ronson featuring Bruno Mars.

Miley Cyrus, who won 2014's video of the year for Wrecking Ball, will host the 2015 VMAs, which will air live on August 30 from the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles.

She announced the news on Instagram, wearing a green catsuit holding a placard with the words: "MTV won't let me perform so I'm hosting this year's VMAs."